Any Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal or Unilever brands in there? Of course. And they're not the only CPG companies that test on animals, either. According to PETA, 219 animals die every minute in a U.S. lab, including mice, rats, cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, monkeys and other creatures. The tests range from Draize eye and skin irritation tests to force-feeding animals toxic substances.

If this is at odds with your values, there's something you can do to stop it. Nothing radical, just a little brand switching—and you don’t have to forgo shiny hair, lips and floors to do it.

It’s Time To Stop Trusting The World’s Most Trusted Brands

What is it with trusted brands being frequent animal testers? Sure, no company wants to admit to it. Years ago, when animal testing was a legal requirement, keeping quiet about it was standard industry practice, so consumers were kept in the dark. But animal testing is no longer required. Many companies now use cruelty-free testing methods, whose results are just as effective, and in many cases, superior.

The market leaders could switch over, sparing animals, improving their products and gaining a new level of consumer confidence. That they don't is a tip-off: they expect your blind trust and your dollars. But you don't have to hand them over, not any more.

This is a more effective form of protest than signing e-petitions in my view. Sure, those are important, but what is it that the world's best-known cruelty-free consumer advocate, Mahatma Ghandi, famously said? Oh yes: be the change you seek. Here's an easy way to do it.